trip in progress report

[eddomo1970]

have a little free time from my girlfriend, who is at work. with things still fresh in my mind thought i would make a post. Very first impression is hot and humid, just came from where it was 30´s and alot of snow.
My girlfriend was at the airport for me, which is a good thing as i still needed to get my bearings, since is my first time to Barranquilla or any ¨3rd world¨ country for that matter. Soledad is a dump for sure. Crazy taxi drivers, gazillion motorcycles on the road. Must be my lack of understanding traffic laws in Colombia, but when cars are constantly in the right lane going same direction as you and cut you off to make a left turn, i must be missing something there. You would see serious problems in the states if you did that.
Checked into my hotel and then went to my girlfriends aunts house for lunch. I guess the boston neighborhood is considered middle class for the area. Good people great food, but would be considered low class in the states. Which does not really bother me, i grew up in a poor family when i was young, so i am used to the living conditions. Houses are built darn near on top of one another here. After lunch went back to the hotel with my girlfriend(with 2 chaperones in tow, she has one child and her niece tagged along) so i could get some rest after the long trip with about 10 hours in layovers and delays.
I think is important to say to anyone going the first time use an agency or have someone here you can trust somewhat, is a bit of a different culture here. My girl, i found using LatinCupid about 7 months ago. To be honest i talked with about 50 girls initially and most was able to weed out as girls looking for a sugardaddy only. About 5 months ago things between us progressed to where i only was interested in talking with her anymore. Not sure if that is the best route or not, but was what i went with and so far we have hit it off in person as we have on the internet.
Anyway, not proof reading this so, i advance in apologize for any grammatical errors. That´s it for the first post.

[eddomo1970]

Day 2: had lunch in the hotel, good food. plantains are actually pretty good. met my girlfriends sister who was surprisingly in town yesterday. we went to the Buenavista Mall for the evening. Girlfriends son wanted to play in the arcade, was fun. Ate dinner at a place called Koko something, was about as good as any mall food in the states, which is not a compliment, but it will pass. Prices at the mall surprised me as not much different than prices in the states, so i guess only the wealthy here can afford to go there very often. I guess would be a good place to go for homesick Americans. Also was surprised by seeing a few Americans there, did not take the time to introduce myself to any as i was enjoying my time with my girl.

I don't know if this is common practice or not but the hotel i am staying at does not require me to pay for anything up front, maybe because i am American, seems odd.  I know that would not happen in the states for sure. Good little hotel, i would recommend it to anyone who does not need anything fancy.

I have read in the past people complaining about taxi prices. I have to say they seem very reasonable. Only cost 22000 from the airport to hotel and 6000 each way to the mall. I guess if you wanted to go cheaper you could ride on the back of one of the millions of motorcycles or take the autobus, good luck with those options.

While i am on the subject of taxi rides, going thru Soledad, where the airport is located, i was the only one with the door unlocked, my girlfriend quickly warned me. Really not a good area. Seems like Soledad would be a little better off, considering it has an international airport in it, and the revenue it brings.

Also i have found that there are many, many very hot women here, not unlike anywhere else for that matter. They are available, but also realize when they see you the first thing they see is money. Others call it the ¨gringo effect¨, that is only a nice way of putting it. Hell you are a world traveler to them, in Colombia the only ones that can do that are the wealthy. If you come to act like a rockstar and snag the model wife only to go home back to your life as a truck driver, it may not last long.

I am no expert, so don't take anything for what i say as more than an opinion. If you use common sense and stay true to who you are, they you should do fine.

[Lone Wolf]

You hit the nail on the head. I have been traveling to Colombia since June of 1993. Things do change when you take the fish out of the water. The girl you meet, may be a good wife when you bring her back to the USA. But she will never be the same girl you met. In Colombia you are kind of like a rock star in COLOMBIA. When that same girl has something for a base comparison when you bring her out of the country she will look at things differently. I don't have the statistical data at hand but, I would bet there just as many divorce's to Latina's you bring back as there would be if you married a girl here. The best case scenario would be to live there. Unfortunately the majority of men can not.   I still love Colombian women. Enjoy ! 

[Pivery]

  Hey eddomo,

It sounds like we used the same taxi drivers in Barranquilla! But I guess if everyone else is driving crazy, you will eventually drive like that yourself if you're there long enough! It felt sort of like being on some wacky roller coaster here in the states. He's driving, honking, talking on his cell phone and trying to look down the blouse of my translator at the same time. Multi-tasking raised to a new level. But I'm told there are few accidents and everybody sort of 'honks' their intentions and as crazy as it initially sounded to me, it seemed to work.
   I had sort the culture-shock thing too when I left the airport. People really struggling to make ends meet, Wow! I really wasn't prepared to see things that bad in some of those areas right by the airport. But it made me think if some people can live like this in near squalor conditions, I guess I can't be doing all that bad where I come from. Really puts things into perspective. I guess being in the states will sort of isolate you from the real world out there...
  I did want to mention on my first date with who is my lady now, we were on a corner in town outside of some market where you could get pretty much anything if you didn't want to go to a store and we had ice cream. It was getting to be evening time and I will never forget while I'm supposed to be talking to my date and seeing if we're getting anywhere together, I couldn't help but stare with my mouth agape at how many near fatal accidents I witnessed. Motorcycles and cars blowing through red lights and I honestly had never seen so many people packed into buses before. they looked like they were comin' out the window - hilarious!
  Anyway, yes hot women everywhere. My head was swiveling around like an owl! But you have to let them know from the git-go that you even though you came here from the states, you didn't charter your own private jet and you are just an average working stiff. Once I mentioned that to some of my first dates, you could see some of them did not want to hear that. But I told the same thing to my lady on our date, and she said, "I don't care what possessions you have. Just take good care of me with your love." Worked for me!
  So in closing, you have to be true to who you really are, 'cause if you bring them back to the states or wherever you flew in from, if stayed honest and didn't pump them full of nonsense just to impress them, you really have nothing to worry about. But it takes quite a bit of weeding through to find the ladies that just want someone to just treat them right.

Whatever my two cents is worth...

Pivery

[utopiacowboy]

You hit the nail on the head. I have been traveling to Colombia since June of 1993. Things do change when you take the fish out of the water. The girl you meet, may be a good wife when you bring her back to the USA. But she will never be the same girl you met. In Colombia you are kind of like a rock star in COLOMBIA. When that same girl has something for a base comparison when you bring her out of the country she will look at things differently. I don't have the statistical data at hand but, I would bet there just as many divorce's to Latina's you bring back as there would be if you married a girl here. The best case scenario would be to live there. Unfortunately the majority of men can not.   I still love Colombian women. Enjoy ! 

My wife is the exact same woman after five years in the US right down to the complete absence of any ability to speak English. On second thought, maybe you do want her to change a little bit.

[drm64]

I have been to Colombia 8 times in the last 3 yrs and never tire of the exciting cab rides. Pivery, you're right about it being like rides in an amusement park. On my last trip in December, I drove for the first time in Colombia. Not BQ, Cerete where the driving is just as bad, just fewer cars. It was rather fun. You get to drive like you wish you could here sometimes, ignoring traffic signs and right of ways! Just had to remember to check my new driving skills at customs when I got back!

[rpcv]

Anyway, yes hot women everywhere. My head was swiveling around like an owl! But you have to let them know from the git-go that you even though you came here from the states, you didn't charter your own private jet and you are just an average working stiff. Once I mentioned that to some of my first dates, you could see some of them did not want to hear that. 

I like the owl reference Pivery. For me it was tough initially finding a balance between spending some $ and being conservative too. You want to enjoy yourself but not give the impression you have lots of money to burn. Especially since when you bring a lady back, she is going to expect a similar lifestyle to the one you displayed while dating her. I've tried explaining "cost of living" to my girl and she seems to understand. But it is tough; folks in the States can make more in minimum wage for 1 hour than she can make for 6 hours. 

[eddomo1970]

Day 3:
Not going to make a long post, just a few observations. Went to the Buenavista mall again to change some money, saw a couple more gringos with ladies. If you ever want to live in Barranquilla with a similar lifestyle, you better bring the same income you currently have because it is not cheaper here for equal lifestyle.
Off to have more fun. Will send another update tomorrow. on a side note, everyone going should really try to learn some Spanish, should be a requisite in my opinion. I say that with myself speaking at the intermediate level and not feeling adequately versed in the language.

[Pivery]

  Great trip report so far eddomo! If you can get there, I really enjoyed going to eat at Archies for breakfast. It's kinda like a 50's diner inside. Totally American feel. I thought I was in the U.S. until I looked out of the window and saw like 5 security guards walking around with guns and one with a rifle!
   Yes, I almost look forward to taking the taxi rides when I go back to visit my lady. Nothin' like here where I live. Some of those guys drove like those police pursuit chases on tv. I was totally waiting for us to run over a spike strip!! Yes indeed, beautiful women everywhere down there. I wish I could have taken more than one lady like some dude with one of those harems in those old movies-Wow! 
  Just find one that wants you for your personality and charm and not end up with one of those gold diggers that ends up going through your wallet like a customs agent to see how much $ you have and how many credit cards are gold. My lady never asked me about money. Doesn't care what neighborhood I live in. And I can almost never get her to take a nickel from me. She wants me, not my wallet. That's the kind of lady you want!

Happy Hunting!

Pivery

[Jeff S]

When that same girl has something for a base comparison when you bring her out of the country she will look at things differently.

Nonsense. If you marry a strong woman whose confident in herself and is committed to you, she'll feel exactly the same after she arrives, even after 20 years of marriage. If you marry a hot party mamma whose looking for a free ticket to the promise land, though. Look out. Ya pays yer money and takes yer choice.

[Dave H]

Soledad is a dump for sure. Crazy taxi drivers, gazillion motorcycles on the road. Must be my lack of understanding traffic laws in Colombia, but when cars are constantly in the right lane going same direction as you and cut you off to make a left turn, i must be missing something there.

Hi eddomo,

LOL You are describing where I live in South Florida to a "T"! I spent 20 years on fire-rescue treating their injuries from crashes. Kids jumping around and not in carseats or seatbelts. Excessive speed, vehicles constantly running red lights and stop signs, driving on the wrong side of the road, and stopping anywhere for no apparent reason (sometimes to change oil). I think my biggest pet peeve are U-turns all over the place...even where they are not permitted, on red lights and through people's yards... All while driving very expensive vehicles, talking on cellphones, putting on makeup, and smoking cigarettes. 

Dave

[eddomo1970]

Day 4:
Went to lunch at a seafood place in her neighborhood. Pretty damn good, and i am a seafood lover. Was actually the second time for me trying out the local fish. My girl points out to me that i should not get used to going out to eat all the time, that it is for her to take care of that. That is something i noticed about the women here, that are not of the elite class, they like to take care of there man.
Was hanging out with my girlfriends, friends boyfriend (don't know if that made sense) who is a architect and we were going thru the buena vista mall expansion. Now i work in the construction industry, and that site would be shut down if it was the states, OSHA would have a field day. I know i would not do multilevel construction here, i would not be shocked at a high death rate here for construction workers.
Went to shoot pool for a bit, they play it a little different. Don't rack the balls and go numerically.
Met up with the girls and had a sample of the night life. On a side note i am glad for the armed security guards in the areas we went, is easier to relax a little and enjoy the time. We drank a ton of beer, i think Aguila is better than budweiser by the way, not that is saying much. Enjoyed the music and I was really amazed at all the beautiful women i encountered. On a scale of 1-10 alot were past the 10 mark. No joke, very approachable also. If i was not with someone already I might have taken a few up on offers. Not all are party girls, alot are.
All in all was a very good evening, at my age is not something i wish to do often, but was good to experience with my girl.

[Lone Wolf]

Jeff S;  Sounds good on paper. But, reality is different. Maybe 1 in 10. But that might be a stretch. Not my first rodeo, bra. ,16 yrs. this June and I can't tell you how many trips to Colombia. I spend 3 to 4 months a year in the homeland. Love Colombian women. For me the sexist women on the planet. I know a lot more ex-pats than are on this board. The success rate is probably worst than in the USA. Sorry to say...............God love um !

[Jeff S]

I guess Colombian women must be very different than other women in the world, then. It sure doesn't sound like a place to find a wife to me, but then again, I guess plenty of guys on this board aren't really looking for a wife.

[utopiacowboy]

I guess Colombian women must be very different than other women in the world, then. It sure doesn't sound like a place to find a wife to me, but then again, I guess plenty of guys on this board aren't really looking for a wife.

They put their panties on one leg at a time like other women on the planet.

[eddomo1970]

Day 5:
Nothing really different to report than the other days. We did go for and evening stroll throughout the Prado area of town, was nice. weather is much more bearable in the night. Saw my first case of road rage here, between a taxi and a truck, i think it must have been an American driving the truck because everyone else driving seem to know the rules of the road. I equate it with playing the game frogger, get out of the way or get ran over. Trip is winding down for me now. Going to Bogota tomorrow for the day. Really have grown to like this place and the people that treat you good here. Groundwork is already layed for a return in the late summer early fall, 2 weeks next time.

[texassingledad]

They put their panties on one leg at a time like other women on the planet.

Damn, they wear panties?.......jajajaja

[Maria]

LOL ... Hilarious


FL

[Jeff S]

That brings up something I've always been curious about. Why is it that a brassiere is singular but panties are plural?

[texassingledad]

That is a very good question. And its one I don't have an answer for.